Lin and Larry Pardey

Lin and Larry Pardey are a married couple famous internationally for their expertise in small boat sailing. They have sailed over 200,000 miles together, having circumnavigated the world both east-about and west-about. They have also sailed westward (against the prevailing winds) past all the great southern capes, including Cape Horn. Larry, assisted by Lin, built the two boats they used for two circumnavigations. Both boats were under 30 feet and were designed by Lyle Hess. Neither boat had an engine (except for an outboard on the dinghy which they carried on board Taleisin). They have also delivered race boats and charter boats.

Larry also was one of the first people to sail across the Sahara desert in 1967. In an expedition organized by the French Colonel de Buchett and sponsored by National Geographic among others, he captained a North American team of three including Richard Arthur and Warren Zeibarth as they sailed landyachts from Colum Bechar in Algeria to Noachott in Mauritania, a distance of approximately 1700 miles. For this each was awarded the Mauritanian Legion of Honor.

Larry (born 1939 in Victoria, British Columbia)[1] won the International Oceanic Award from the Royal Institute of Navigation in 1996, and was presented this honour by the Princess Royal, Princess Anne in 1997.

Lin (born 1944 in Detroit, Michigan)[1] was awarded the Geoff Pack award by the Ocean Cruising Club in 2001 and they both received the SSCA Service Award in 2004.

Together the two have received many awards for their contributions to the sport of sailing. They have also helped raise funds for different groups of Sailors with Disabilities, in Norway, USA, UK and New Zealand, including CRAB (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating) and Sailability Auckland.

Boatbuilding and repair work provided their main means of financing their voyaging until recently. They have restored three truly classic yachts, two of which were more than 100 years old when they found them in need of attention. The most recent, a New Zealand cutter, Thelma was built in 1885. Survey's found over 95 percent of her original hull in good condition. The Pardeys' repaired the rest and raced her during southern summers in New Zealand while cruising northern Climates the rest of the year on board their cutter Taleisin. They have recently completed another circumnavigation, bringing them and Taleisin back to their homebase in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf. Soon after their return, Thelma was adopted by a boatbuilder in Wellington where she can still be seen out racing 117 years after she was launched.

Together they have written eleven books and created five instructional DVD programs. Parts of these programs have been aired on PBS television.

In May 2007, Lin and Larry entrusted the foundry casting patterns for Taleisin to the safe keeping and management of the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center in Sausalito, California. In 2011 the patterns were moved to the Mystic River Foundry www.mysticriverfoundry.com. where parts can be ordered with a 1% donation going to the Spaulding Center.

The Cruising Club of America awarded their prestigious Far Horizon Award for 2009 to Lin and Larry in recognition of their combined voyaging on board many boats covering mileage totaling more than 200,000 for Larry and about 194,000 for Lin and doing so in a manner that is consistent with the goals of this the CCA.

In January of 2014, a biography written by Herb McCormick and called - As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey was released by Paradise Cay Publications. Reviews have been excellent and the book was in the Amazon top 100 sellers list for over a week after Wall Street Journal featured a review written by Angus Phillips. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304691904579347013126757076

Also in January of 2014, due to Larry's diminishing health, the Pardey's began looking for the next sailors to own their 29' cutter, Taleisin.

Awards received by Lin and Larry include:

Taleisin voted

Seraffyn voted

Bibliography

Books:

VHS tapes:

DVDs:

Further reading

Sources

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Lin & Larry - The Cold Hard Facts (bio)". Archived from the original on 22 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-05.

Adlard Coles Heavy Weather Sailing, 6th Edition edited by Peter Bruce

Yachting Monthly, March 2012 - 25 Cruising Heroes -http://zno.zinio.com/page/?issue=416209799&pg=26&categoryId=cat1960028

External links